This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Jessica Obeid, energy consultant, a senior global advisor at the London-based consultancy Azure Strategy, and an academy associate with Chatham House's Energy, Environment, and Resources Programme. They talk about the Lebanese power sector and what its shortcomings tell us about broader fissures in Arab society. Then, Natasha Hall, Will Todman, and Jon continue the discussion about sectarianism and renewable energy, and discuss our new report. Jessica ...
Apr 06, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 26
A short mezze episode from the Middle East Program at CSIS. The Egyptian government is trying to block doctors from leaving the country, but they aren't incentivizing doctors to stay, either.
Mar 30, 2021•3 min•Season 5Ep. 25
To mark a decade since protests first began in Syria, we are bringing you the stories and experiences of five different Syrians, in their own words. Omar Alshogre is now a student at Georgetown University, and he was 15 when he attended his first protest in 2011 and was subsequently imprisoned for the first time. Zaina Erhaim is an award-winning journalist, communications expert, and trainer originally from Syria who is now working with journalists throughout the Arab world. Ibrahim is from Madi...
Mar 22, 2021•44 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Yemen’s once flourishing fishing industry is now on the rocks as the country’s conflict has turned previously tranquil shores into a warzone.
Mar 16, 2021•4 min•Season 5Ep. 23
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Stephanie Williams, formerly the acting special representative of the UN Secretary-General and the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya. They talk about why the conflict in Libya has lasted this long, the importance of facilitating a Libyan-Libyan resolution to the conflict, and her role as a mediator in the process. Then, Natasha Hall, Will Todman, and Jon discuss their own experiences with mediation elsewhere in the region. NYTimes Editorial Board...
Mar 09, 2021•34 min•Season 5Ep. 22
If social media influencers in the UAE want to capitalize on their fame, they have to acquire a license from the UAE government. This is a short mezze episode from the Middle East Program at CSIS.
Mar 02, 2021•4 min•Season 5Ep. 21
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Ambassador James Jeffrey, who recently finished serving as the Secretary of State's special representative for Syria engagement and as the special envoy to defeat ISIS. Ambassador Jeffrey talked about Turkey's Middle East policy, how to think about Turkey's versus Erdogan's views, and if Turkey has any allies in the Middle East. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and McKinley Knoop discussed the durability of Turkey's presence in the Middle East. James Jeffrey, ...
Feb 23, 2021•33 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Traffickers bringing foreign tomatoes onto Iraq's black market are just one sign of Iraq's domestic produce and protectionism issues.
Feb 16, 2021•3 min•Season 5Ep. 19
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed, visiting research fellow at the London School of Economics Middle East Centre and research fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Dr. Almoaibed talks about her research on how Saudi's youth view vocational schools, entrepreneurship, and Vision 2030. Then, Jon is joined by his colleagues Will Todman and Danny Sharp to discuss prestige in how it relates to employment. Buthaina al Zubair and Caleb Harper, "...
Feb 09, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Women across the Middle East are becoming plumbers with support from some governments' training programs.
Feb 02, 2021•3 min•Season 5Ep. 17
In this week's episode of Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Dr. Azzam Alwash, an engineer working to restore Iraq's wetlands and the founder of Nature Iraq. Dr. Alwash talks about why wetlands are important and how he and others work to convince Iraq's government to take action. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and McKinley Knoop discuss the relationship between climate change, governance, and trust. Azzam Alwash, “Iraq’s Climate Crisis Requires Bold Cooperation,” The Century Foundation, December 14, 2020....
Jan 26, 2021•29 min•Season 5Ep. 16
The disorder of today’s Iraq leads many Iraqis to miss the old Iraq, in which life was predictable and the state provided for its citizens. Over the past several years, Iraqi support for Saddam Hussein has surged.
Jan 19, 2021•3 min•Season 5Ep. 15
In our latest episode of Babel, Jon Alterman was joined by Issandr El Amrani, regional director for the Middle East/North Africa region at the Open Society Foundation. Issandr talked to Jon about how political trends across the Middle East have unfolded in the ten years since the Arab Spring. He also gives his thoughts on what trends people should be watching going forward. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp explore the Arab Spring's legacy ten years on. Oz Katerji, "Betrayed by Their Lead...
Jan 12, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 14
As more and more women across the Middle East enter the auto industry, the fuel for change is being driven in unexpected directions.
Jan 05, 2021•3 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Jon Alterman talks with Elfatih Eltahir, professor of hydrology and climate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about climate change and rising temperatures across the Middle East. Professor Eltahir explains what 'wet bulb' temperature means, and why governments should plan future cities away from the coast in order to cope with extreme heat. Then, Jon, Will Todman, and McKinley Knoop discuss climate change mitigation efforts in the Middle East. Suchul Kang, Jeremy Pal, Elfatih Eltahir...
Dec 29, 2020•27 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Egyptian vendors are reselling leftover and expired foods to Egypt's poor at heavily discounted prices.
Dec 22, 2020•3 min•Season 5Ep. 11
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman is joined by Karl Sharro, an architect, satirist, and commentator on the Middle East who blogs and tweets as @KarlreMarks. Karl talks about how he developed his style of comedy and the role satire has played in the Arab World. Then, Natasha, Will, and Jon talk about what satire can tell us about the Middle East. Karl Sharro, "Explaining Lebanon's Problems in One Minute," Karl Sharro Youtube, October 2, 2020. Ahmed Albasheer, "Muhasasa," Albasheer Show Youtube, No...
Dec 15, 2020•33 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Across the Middle East, ride sharing apps are helping address the region's addressing problems.
Dec 08, 2020•2 min•Season 5Ep. 9
This week on Babel, Jon is joined by Sunil John, founder of Asda’a BCW and president for the Middle East and North Africa for BCW, where he runs the annual Arab Youth Survey. Sunil and John talk about the results of this year's survey. They also talk about how his team develops the survey and how it has changed over the last decade. Then, Natasha, McKinley, and Jon discuss their own experiences developing trust in research. Asda'a BCW, "Top 10 Findings of the Arab Youth Survey," Arab Youth Surve...
Dec 01, 2020•30 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Amidst a tangle of political banners, martyrs’ portraits, and crisscrossing power lines in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, the image of a boy gazes down. Sixteen-year-old Muhammad Okasha is celebrated in death, but unlike the fighters whose images otherwise line the streets, he did not die for the Palestinian cause. Hailed as an “electricity martyr,” he died struggling to bring power to his home. Song Credit: "Uncertain Ground" from Duck Lake.
Nov 24, 2020•3 min•Season 5Ep. 7
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Sanam Vakil, deputy director of the Middle East North Africa Programme at Chatham House, where she leads the Future Dynamics in the Gulf project and the Iran Forum. Sanam and Jon talk about how Iran is thinking about the Biden presidency. They also talk about the upcoming election in Iran and what that could mean for Iran's strategy towards the United States. Then, Jon, Natasha, and Will discuss the Biden administration's likely approach to Iran. Sanam...
Nov 17, 2020•31 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In July 2019, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu denounced the excessive use of Arabic on the city’s storefronts. Song Credits: "Bir Demet Yasemen" from Turku, Nomads of the Silk Road; the track Gambrel via Blue Dot Sessions; and the end music is from Syrian street musicians Munzer Sheikh Alkar and Jemal Shber in Istanbul.
Nov 10, 2020•4 min•Season 5Ep. 5
This week on Babel, Jon is joined by Hassan Barari, a professor of international politics at the University of Jordan who is currently on leave teaching at Qatar University. Jon and Hassan talk about how the Middle East has viewed past U.S. administrations and the current one. They also talk about what a Biden administration might mean for the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Then, Jon, Will, and Danny discuss anti-Americanism in the Middle East. Jon Alterman, "Pivoting to Asia ...
Nov 03, 2020•27 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Some treat diplomacy in the Middle East like political theater—but for South Korea, it’s more of a musical. Music Credits: Highride & Club Felix from the album Radio Pink via Blue Dot Studios.
Oct 27, 2020•4 min•Season 5Ep. 3
This week Jon is joined by Hassan Hassan, director of the program on non-state actors in geopolitics at the Center for Global Policy and the editor-in-chief of its new online journal, Newlines Magazine. Hassan talks to Jon about his late colleague, Hisham al-Hashimi, and the research Hisham was conducting on the rise of Shi'ite militias in Iraq. Then, Natasha, Will, and Jon talk about the effects of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Hassan Hassan, "How Iraq's Top ISIS Scholar Became a Target for ...
Oct 20, 2020•24 min•Season 5Ep. 2
In years past, a Muslim would ask a religious scholar for a ruling, or fatwa. In Dubai today, a Muslim can ask these questions to a computer. Song Credits: "The Terrarium" by Sketchbook; "Stipple" by Marisala; "The Spills" by CloudBreaker.
Oct 13, 2020•4 min•Season 5Ep. 1
In part six, Jon Alterman hears from guests from previous episodes who help him recap everything he's covered so far and look at what's next for Russia in the Middle East. Jon is rejoined by Elizabeth Tsurkov, fellow at the Center for Global Policy and at the Forum for Regional Thinking; Ambassador Mohamed Anis Salem, an Egyptian diplomat with 35 years of experience; Eugene Rumer, senior fellow and director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment; and Phil Gordon, senior fell...
Oct 06, 2020•27 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In part five, Jon Alterman looks at how the Middle East views Russia. He starts with Russia's relationships with Israel and Iran, before moving on to how Arab states, particularly Egypt, view Russia. Jon talks with Elizabeth Tsurkov, fellow at the Center for Global Policy and at the Forum for Regional Thinking; Mohamed Anis Salem, an Egyptian diplomat with 35 years of experience; and Anna Borschevskaya, senior fellow at the Washington Institute. Song Credits: “Denzel Sprak” from CloudCover; “Cou...
Sep 29, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In part four, Jon Alterman looks at U.S.-Russian cooperation and competition in the Middle East. He follows how U.S. policy in the Middle East has shaped Russian policy in the region, and how the U.S.-Russian relationship in the Middle East has evolved over the past three decades. During the episode, Jon talks with Anna Borschevskaya, senior fellow at the Washington Institute; Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Artic and director of the Europe Program at CSIS; Phi...
Sep 22, 2020•23 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In part three, Jon Alterman looks at Russian security interests in the Middle East. He starts with an overview of Russia's military presence, and then looks at how Moscow's presence has evolved in Syria, and then spread into Libya. He talks with Olga Oliker, director of the Europe and Central Asia Program at the International Crisis Group; Alexey Khlebnikov, an expert at the Russian International Affairs Council; Wa'el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage Foundation and a former State Department official; and...
Sep 15, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 3
